Children and teenagers who face criminal charges often have a difficult path ahead of them if they are found guilty. This is especially true if the crime they are being accused of is serious in nature. One 16-year-old Virginia teenager is being charged with capital murder and various other charges after two young men were found dead at a skate park in Downtown Hampton.
The incident allegedly occurred when the teenager got into a verbal argument with a 20-year-old and a 21-year-old at the park. A witness revealed that the argument may have been over a stolen BMX bike.
The teenager is accused of leaving the park, getting a firearm and returning to the park to shoot both men. The teen supposedly fled the scene on a moped. After a caller reported a stolen Jeep Liberty to authorities with the driver matching the teenager’s description, authorities tracked down the vehicle and stopped it shortly thereafter.
The teenager is being charged with capital murder, grand larceny of a firearm, first degree murder, possession of a firearm by a juvenile, carjacking, felony evade and elude, and three counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The teen will be tried as an adult.
Juvenile crime typically results in the accused child being processed through the juvenile court system. Juvenile court procedures allow for special protections for the offender because he or she is still a minor and does not have the same constitutional rights as an adult. However, when a crime is particularly serious or violent, the young person may be tried as an adult, as in this case. This means that he or she may face more serious consequences if found guilty. With juveniles facing the procedures and potential penalties of the adult court system, it becomes even more important to properly defend themselves against the charges.
Source: WAVY, “Teen suspect faces capital murder charge,” Catherine Rogers, Jan. 6, 2014
